Beverage dispenser



Sept. 8, 1964 E. F. DOLGIN BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed Nov. 15, 1960 INVENTOR. Elliot F. Dolgin United States Patent 3,147,839 BEVERAGE DISPENSER Elliot F. Dolgin, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Fen- Mart, Inca, Reno, Nev., a corporation of Nevada Filed Nov. 15, 1964), Ser. No. 69,309 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-131) This invention relates to a portable device for dispensing beverages.

At athletic events and other gatherings of large masses of people quite frequently vendors will circulate among the group selling or dispensing beverages to the audience or participants. The vendor will carry a container carrying a plurality of bottles or cans which are either directly handed to the ultimate consumer or conversely the liquid contents are poured into a paper cup so that the empty cans or bottles can be conveniently returned. This is a cumbersome and relatively expensive means of distribution of beverages.

Containers have been made for beverage dispensing purposes in which gas pressure within the container allows the beverage fluid to be dispensed under pressure through a hose outlet. However, these devices are often difficult and cumbersome to handle and are directly exposed to extreme hot or cold ambient conditions. When cold beverages are to be dispensed from such containers the dispensers quite frequently are in direct contact with sun radiation. In the case of cold weather, snow or rain might actually contact the container itself to chill hot beverages.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a housing in which a conventional beverage dispenser is mounted in a housing in such a way that the housing forms an insulating structure about the dispenser to protect it from the external ambient conditions and temperature gradients directly eifecting the housing.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for easily installing and removing the beverage dispenser so that the vendor may easily replace an empty dispensing element with a filled one.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel housing for a beverage dispenser which is formed in a configuration which renders the housing easily carried by the vendor and allows the vendor to easily manipulate the dispensing hose while in use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a housing with a concave wall which can be mounted against the body portion of a vendor and in which a pump is mounted to one side of the concave wall so that it may be easily manipulated by the vendor while mounted against his body and with the further provision of a hose dispenser extending from the top portion of the housing to dispense liquids.

As a further object of the invention the top portion of the housing is provided with a rim which allows the placement of glasses or cups so that the rim forms a guide which will prevent the cups or glasses from falling off the housing while the vendor is moving about.

A feature and advantage of the aforesaid housing resides in the fact that the liquid carrying dispenser mounted within the housing is carried at the point of minimum cross-sectional area of the housing in such a way that the container rests on the cradle without making contact with any of the wall portions of the housing thus creating an air space between the liquid dispenser and the housing. The air space functions as an insulator to minimize the direct conduction of the temperature gradient of the housing to the liquid dispenser.

One of the features and advantages of the housing of this invention is that the beverage dispenser can more adequately retain the temperature gradient of the beverage whether it be hot or cold liquids in such a way that the 3,147,889 Fatented Sept. 8, 1964 dispensed beverage will retain the initial temperature for prolonged periods of time even when the housing itself is subjected to the direct sun radiation or to the chilling eifect of snow and inclement weather.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing of this invention taken from an upper rear perspective.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the housing of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housing taken at line 3--3, of FIG. 2.

In the principal embodiment of the invention there is provided a housing generally indicated at A having a concave back wall 15 which is formed of a configuration to allow the housing to be mounted on a front portion of a person.

On the interior of the housing there is mounted a beverage dispensing tank B having a hose outlet 20 connected to the tank and projecting upwardly through the top wall 21 of the housing.

Hose outlet 2% is provided at its terminal end with a valve nozzle 22. The beverage dispensing tank is provided with internal gas pressure by a pump C which has an actuating handle 25 mounted on one of terminal fiat faces 28 on two ends of the rear wall of housing A.

Connecting strap mounts 30 are mounted on the top portion of each of the two side walls 32 of the housing and on the lower portion of the two terminal flat faces 28 of the rear wall of housing A. Strap mounts 30 are arranged to carry straps which will drape over the shoulders and around the waist of the vendor or other person using the device as a beverage vending apparatus in such a way that concave wall 15 of the back of the housing rests directly against the vendors stomach.

Top wall 21 is located substantially below the top edge of the side walls of the housing so that the upper portions, generally indicated at 40, of the various side walls form a guide to restrain or hold cups or glasses on the top face of top wall 21.

Beverage dispensing tank B is of conventional design and is generally of cylindrical configuration. Tank B is mounted by a unique mounting system which holds the tank in spaced relation to the various walls of the housing so that there is an air space separating the greater portion of the housing from the beverage dispensing tank.

The tank mounting mechanism comprises a flexible strap 41 mounted by a hinge 42 to the middle portion of concave wall 15 of the rear wall. The opposite end 43 of the strap connects by a connecting latch 44 to a mounting bracket 45 on the inside of the front wall 46 of the housing. The strap is formed with a sutficient drape to form a cradle which carries the tank is spaced relation to the walls of the housing. Strap 41 is thus mounted at the point of minimum cross-sectional spacing between the front and rear walls of the housing.

The housing is formed with the minimal spacing being slightly greater than the diameter of the tank so that when the tank is supported by the strap it will be spaced from both the front and the rear walls of the housing. The purpose of having the strap mounted on the point of minimum dimension is to provide the shortest possible strap length so that the cradle distance is more efficient.

Transverse movement of the tank within the housing is prevented by a guide 48 mounted on the interior of right hand side wall 32 which engages the bottom end 49 of tank B at the approximate center of the tank.

Longitudinal movement of the tank is prevented in the front portion by an L-shaped guide retainer member 51 mounted on the inside of front wall 46 and engaging the forward mid portion 52 of the tank. Thus the tank is compressed between member 51 and guide 43 to prevent side to side movement and is draped in the cradle for vertical support. The only contact between the tank and the housing itself is through member 51, guide 48 and strap 41 otherwise there is an area of air insulation between the tank and the housing. This is of extreme importance when cold beverages are carried by the tank and when the direct rays of the sun is directly on the housing. Thus the housing may be elevated in temperature to well over 100 without any substantial direct conduction of the elevated heat to the tank.

When the device is used in extremely cold weather, snow and the like might directly rest on the housing in which case hot beverages may be carried within the tank. In such a case the cold tank would be only minimally connected to the housing so that there would be very little area for the conduction of the heat from the tank to the housing thus keeping the hot beverage content of the tank at the requisite high temperature required.

Hose outlet 20 is connected by a snap-on type coupler oil to the tank. Similarly a hose 61 is connected by a snap-on connector 65 to form a fluid communication linkage bewteen pump C and the tank.

In operation tank B is filled with a selected beverage. With housing A in the inverted position latch 44 is opened and strap 41 is swung to an open position. Tank B is then inserted into the housing with the bottom of the tank rested against guide 48 and the front portion of the tank rested against guide retainer member 51. Snap-on connectors 66 and 65 are connected to the tank so that dispensing hose 2t} and the pressure hose from pump C are connected to the tank.

The device is then turned right side up and mounted on the stomach and chest portions of the beverage dispensing operator.

The operator can then manually pump pump C by reciprocally moving actuating handle 25 until the requisite amount of gas pressure is built up within tank B.

Glasses or cups are placed on top wall 21 of the device. Beverage is then dispensed by actuating valve nozzle 22 and filling the respective glasses at the locus or point of sale.

While the device is carried by the beverage dispensing operator tank B is supported by the flexible strap 41 so that it is supported on the strap in spaced relation to the side walls of the tank thus providing the important insulating feature of the tank support.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the invention as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A portable device for carrying a removable cylindrical beverage tank and for dispensing beverages from the tank comprising a housing including oppositely facing first and second side walls spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the beverage tank to be carried by said housing and oppositely facing third and fourth side walls spaced apart a distance greater than the length of said beverage tank, strap means extending from the first said side wall to the second said side wall and forming a depending cradle to support the tank in spaced relation to the first and second side walls, an inwardly projecting guide mounted on the inside face of the third side wall to engage the first end of the tank to support the tank in spaced relation from said third wall, second guide means mounted on the inside face of said housing to engage the second end of the tank to support the tank in spaced relation from said fourth side wall, said two guide means and said strap means constituting the sole contact between the tank mounted within said housing and the side walls of the housing, a pump mounted in said housing, hose means to establish fluid communication between said pump and the tank, dispensing hose means connectable with the tank at one end and projecting upwardly through the top of the housing at the second end, and means on the second end of said hose operable to control fluid flow through said hose.

2. A portable device for carrying a removable cylindrical beverage tank and for dispensing beverages from the tank comprising a housing including oppositely facing first and second side walls spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the beverage tank to be carried by said housing and oppositely facing third and fourth side walls spaced apart a distance greater than the length of said beverage tank, said first wall being curved inwardly, flexible strap means extending from the innermost portion of said first side wall to the second said side wall, said strap means pivotally mounted on one of said two walls and removably mounted on the other of said two walls, said strap means being sufficiently flexible to form a depending cradle to support the tank in spaced relation to the first and second side walls, an inwardly projecting guide mounted on the inside face of the third side wall to engage the first end of the tank to support the tank in spaced relation from said third wall, second guide means mounted on the inside face of said fourth side wall to engage the second end of the tank to support the tank in spaced relation from said fourth side wall, said two guide means and said strap means constituting the sole contact between the tank mounted within said housing and the side Walls of the housing, a pump mounted in said housing, hose means to establish fiuid communication between said pump and the tank, dispensing hose means connectable with the tank at one end and projecting upwardly through the top of the housing in the second end, and means on the second end of said hose operable to control fluid flow through said hose.

3. A portable device according to claim 2 and wherein said pump means is provided with an actuating handle projecting exteriorly from said first wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,979,604 Burdge Nov. 6, 1934 2,571,433 Fine et al. Oct. 16, 1951 2,732,977 Charpiat -s Jan. 31, 1956 2,808,965 Graphia et al. Oct. 8, 1957 

1. A PORTABLE DEVICE FOR CARRYING A REMOVABLE CYLINDRICAL BEVERAGE TANK AND FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES FROM THE TANK COMPRISING A HOUSING INCLUDING OPPOSITELY FACING FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALLS SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BEVERAGE TANK TO BE CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND OPPOSITELY FACING THIRD AND FOURTH SIDE WALLS SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID BEVERAGE TANK, STRAP MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST SAID SIDE WALL TO THE SECOND SAID SIDE WALL AND FORMING A DEPENDING CRADLE TO SUPPORT THE TANK IN SPACED RELATION TO THE FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALLS, AN INWARDLY PROJECTING GUIDE MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE FACE OF THE THIRD SIDE WALL TO ENGAGE THE FIRST END OF THE TANK TO SUPPORT THE TANK IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID THIRD WALL, SECOND GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE FACE OF SAID HOUSING TO ENGAGE THE SECOND END OF THE TANK TO SUPPORT THE TANK IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID FOURTH SIDE WALL, SAID TWO GUIDE MEANS AND SAID STRAP MEANS CONSTITUTING THE SOLE CONTACT BETWEEN THE TANK MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND THE SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING, A PUMP MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, HOSE MEANS TO ESTABLISH FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID PUMP AND THE TANK, DISPENSING HOSE MEANS CONNECTABLE WITH THE TANK AT ONE END AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HOUSING AT THE SECOND END, AND MEANS ON THE SECOND END OF SAID HOSE OPERABLE TO CONTROL FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID HOSE. 